The first monument to Mikhail Glinka. Monument to Glinka on Theater Square

Monument to the famous Russian composer M. I. Glinka in St. Petersburg. The monument was erected on Theater Square in 1906, initially in front of the conservatory, and in 1925 it was moved to the square to the right of the building. The author of the sculpture is R. R. Bach, the architectural direction is A. R. Bach.

The idea of ​​erecting a monument to the great composer, the founder of Russian classical music M. I. Glinka appeared at the Imperial Russian musical society in 1901, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the birth of the master. The initiative was supported by high level, and organizational preparations began: collecting donations, selecting performers and choosing a place. And already in 1906, the monument was solemnly installed on Theater Square in front of the entrance to the State Conservatory.

However, the original location in the alignment of the roadway turned out to be rather unfortunate, the monument interfered with carriages and wagons. When, after 20 years, the traffic became even more intense, and tram tracks were laid across the square, it was decided to move the monument to M.I. Glinka. Therefore, in 1925 it was moved to the square next to the conservatory, while being slightly changed appearance monument - the extra candelabra was removed.

The monument depicts the composer standing in a relaxed position, slightly akimbo, with his coat unbuttoned. On the front side of the granite pedestal, the name and dates of the composer's life are engraved in gold letters and a laurel branch is applied. On the sides of the monument are listed the most famous works of M. I. Glinka: "Ruslan and Lyudmila", "Life for the Tsar", "Kamarinskaya" and many others.

The height of the monument is about 3.5 meters, the total height of the monument together with the base is more than 7 meters.

The monument to M. I. Glinka is included in the Unified State Register of Objects cultural heritage(monuments of history and culture) of Russia.

Note to tourists:

A visit to the monument to M. I. Glinka will be of interest to all tourists interested in the monumental architecture of the early 20th century, and can also become one of the points excursion program while exploring neighboring attractions - the Mariinsky Theater (

Name M.I. Glinka is close to the heart of every Russian, thanks to the operas Ruslan and Lyudmila, Ivan Susanin and others famous works. Contemporaries compared him with Pushkin, emphasizing that both of them created a new Russian language: one in poetry, the other in music. All conscious life The musical maestro is associated with St. Petersburg, where he entered the boarding school as a young man, took private music lessons, was the bandmaster of the court choir, composed his best works.

On the eve of the composer's centenary, the musical community of the Northern capital took the initiative to erect a monument to him. At that time, a monument to the composer already existed in the city, erected in 1899 by decision of the Duma. The authorities approved the idea and announced a fundraiser for the manufacture and installation of the monument; representatives of all classes made their contribution. Prominent musical figures in search of funding, they gave a lot of performances, the proceeds of which went to the fund of the monument. The fundraising campaign brought over 106,000 rubles to the initiative group.

Project competition

The sketch of the future monument was chosen on a competitive basis. The commission included representatives of the Imperial Musical Society, the Academy of Arts, as well as the composer's relatives. Out of more than twenty works, an authoritative jury chose a sketch by sculptor Robert Bach; his brother Alexander was appointed architect.

In 1903, a place was chosen at the corner of Theater Square and the street, which was later named after Glinka. In the spring of the same year, a solemn laying ceremony took place and the production cycle was launched. The figure of the maestro and decorative elements were cast in bronze at the foundry, and the pedestal was made of granite. The monument turned out to be more than seven meters in height, of which almost half falls on the figure of the composer.

Mikhail Ivanovich is depicted in full height. His face is thoughtful, his eyes are serious; he is clearly immersed in listening to a piece of music and is concentrating on what to change in it. His appearance, good-natured and at the same time demanding, corresponds to the portrait of a Russian intellectual of that time. Around the monument is a small platform paved with granite to match the color of the pedestal. The polished edges of the pedestal are decorated with golden letters: the name of the composer, the years of his life, the titles of operas and symphonic works which made the author world-famous.

Transfer of the monument to a new location

The monument was solemnly opened at the end of the winter of 1906. After that, it turned out that the place for it was chosen unsuccessfully: the monument prevented the free movement of carriages. Two decades later, the reconstruction of Theater Square began. The monument, located almost in its center, was dismantled, and tram tracks were laid in its place. A commission of eminent architects had to decide where exactly to move the monument, so that it would be convenient, reliable and not interfere with traffic. Such a place was found in a park near Mariinsky Theater. In fact, the monument remained on the square, it simply “moved” to its southern side.

Restoration work was carried out under the leadership of N. Waldman. The sculptor, together with members of the commission for the reconstruction of the monument, decided to remove the chandeliers and expand the territory of the site on which the pedestal will be installed.

In the middle of the twentieth century. the monument was restored by the workers of the Monumentskulptura plant. Updated bronze figure and decorative branch; engraved an inscription about the dates of the foundation and opening of the monument, which is an object of cultural heritage and is under state protection. The maestro stands on a high pedestal surrounded by lush greenery. In good weather, not far from the monument, students of the conservatory like to relax on the benches of the park.

Address: Theater Square, Theater Square, St. Petersburg, Russia.

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The name of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka is familiar and dear to many Russians. When the 100th anniversary of the great composer was approaching, the musical community of St. Petersburg raised the issue of erecting a monument to him. City officials agreed. The Imperial Russian Musical Society organized a commission to create a monument and announced an all-Russian fundraising. In a short period of time, it was possible to collect an amount of about 107 thousand rubles.

22 participants took part in the announced competition famous sculptor. A strict authoritative commission consisting of the composer's relatives, artists and architects reviewed the submitted projects and chose the work of the sculptor Robert Bach. The architect of the monument was his brother Alexander.

Already at the beginning of 1903, the location of the monument to the creator of the immortal "Ivan Susanin" and "Ruslan and Lyudmila" was chosen - the intersection of Theater Square and the street named after Glinka.

The laying of the monument took place on May 20, 1903, and almost immediately the Kohl and Dürer company began production of the monument. The author of the laurel branch was Robert Bach. Models of candelabra were made in the sculptural and stucco workshops of Afrikan Lapin. The figure of Mikhail Ivanovich himself, the candelabra and the laurel branch were cast at the Moran foundry.

The composer is depicted in full growth: a light coat is fluttering, one hand is in his pants pocket, his face is thoughtful, his eyes are focused. He is clearly listening carefully to the new piece of music. bronze statue 3.5 meters high is placed on a red granite pedestal. On the polished sides of the pedestal there are inscriptions made in gilded letters: the dates of the life and death of the composer, the names of his most famous musical works and date of construction of the monument. Around the monument is a small platform made of the same red polished granite. The total height of the structure is 7.5 meters.

The monument was solemnly opened on February 3, 1906. And almost immediately it became clear that he interfered with the movement. When, almost 20 years later, Theater Square was reconstructed and tram tracks were laid, the monument was dismantled.

However, in 1926 a special commission was created to restore the Glinka monument and choose the best place for its installation. They decided to move the monument to the south of the Conservatory, while removing the bronze candelabra. The sculptor Nikolai Valdman supervised the restoration work.

The next restoration of the monument was carried out in 1944. The bronze Maestro on Theater Square is included in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Sites of Russia.

The idea is to perpetuate the memory of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, the famous Russian composer, founder national school composers arose in 1901, on the eve of the 100th anniversary. By this time, in St. Petersburg, in the Alexander Garden in front of the Admiralty building, a monument to the composer had already been erected. Its installation was initiated by the City Duma in 1899, almost 40 years after the reburial of his ashes at the Tikhvin cemetery, where a tombstone was erected to him. To raise funds for the creation and installation of a new monument in St. Petersburg, "the whole world" worked - many charity concerts and performances were given, representatives of almost all strata took an active part in the collection Russian society. As a result of this large-scale action, more than 16 thousand rubles were collected.

For determining best sketch monument, the Academy of Arts convened a competition commission, which presented the works of 22 authors. As a result of a difficult competition, 8 of the most successful sketches were selected, and with minimal comments, the sketch of the architect R.R. Bach, namesake famous composer.

It should be noted that during his life in Berlin, M.I. Glinka thoroughly studied the choral works of the old masters - in particular, the works of I.S. Bach. Mikhail Ivanovich was the first of the secular composers who composed and arranged church music in Russian style.

In 1903, a monument to Glinka was made at the Moran bronze foundry and installed at the intersection of Theater Square and the street named after the famous composer. The sculpture, decorative branch, candelabra of the monument were cast in bronze, the pedestal and balustrade were made of polished red granite. The total height of the monument was more than 7.5 m, and the figure of the composer itself was 3.5 m.

Almost immediately after the installation, the monument, located in the center of the square, began to impede the movement of carriages, and then horse-drawn carriages. Therefore, in 1925, it was decided to dismantle the monument due to the reconstruction of the square, as a result of which tram tracks were installed on the site of the monument. The task of the Commission of Architects, convened in 1926, was to find a convenient and reliable place to restore the monument to the great composer. This place became the Theater Square, not far from the Mariinsky Theatre, or more precisely, the park, closer to the south side of the Conservatory.

The architects, who are members of the Commission for the restoration of the monument, decided to somewhat change the appearance of the monument, removing the chandeliers as they did not correspond to the general artistic and stylistic decision of the monument. The pedestal itself is set on a fairly wide platform, fenced with granite porticos, which gives the whole ensemble a solemn and majestic look. Work on the assembly of the monument at the new location was carried out under the supervision of the sculptor Waldman.

In 1944, the bronze figure of the composer was restored, as well as the decorative branch on the monument. The restoration was carried out by employees of the Monumentsculptura plant. After the restoration of the monument, the height of the sculpture was 3.55 m, and the height of the pedestal was 4 m. Several engravings were made on the monument in gilded letters: "Laid down on May 20, 1903 - opened on February 3, 1906", the names of its most famous works - the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila", "Night in Madrid", "Life for the Tsar", music for the tragedy "Prince Kholmsky", "Jota of Aragon", symphonic fantasy "Kamarinskaya". The most important inscription, of course, is "To Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka." The years of his life "1804 - 1857" are engraved in gilded letters under the bronze patch branch.

Monuments to Glinka, the great composer who influenced the emergence of Russian classical music with his work, have been erected in several cities of the country. They were built in different time in gratitude to people for the works created by the genius of the composer and musician.

There are such monuments in Dubna, Chelyabinsk, St. Petersburg and, of course, in Smolensk. In Veliky Novgorod, on the monument "1000th Anniversary of Rus'" among the 129 most prominent personalities Russia, who left their mark on the history of the Russian state, is the figure of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka.

Years spent in Smolensk

It is not surprising that the monument to Glinka in Smolensk was the first in Russia. After all, it was in the Smolensk province in 1804 that he was born future composer and musician. Here he received his primary education. Until the age of 13, the boy lived with his grandmother, and then with his mother on an estate not far from Smolensk.

From the age of 10, Mikhail began to learn to play the musical instruments: violin and piano. His first music teacher was the governess VF Klammer. In 1817 the family moved to St. Petersburg, where he continued his studies in both basic subjects and music.

Monument to the great countryman

A magnificent monument by sculptor A. R. von Bock and architect I. S. Bogomolov was erected in 1885 in Smolensk. Funds for its creation and installation were collected for two years from voluntary donations, for which a subscription was organized. The initiative was taken by such artists as A. G. Rubinshtein, V. V. Stasov, G. A. Larosh. Many Russian composers came to the opening, who deeply revered Glinka for his creations and called themselves his students.

On May 20, 1885, on the birthday of Mikhail Ivanovich, with a large crowd of people, the monument was solemnly opened. Since then, for several centuries, he did not leave his place. Today it is one of the main attractions of Smolensk. It is located in the Glinka park, although locals prefer another name: "Blonje Park". Opposite the monument is the building of the Philharmonic.

Description of the monument to Glinka

The figure of the composer is placed on a high pedestal made of gray granite. There are two inscriptions on the side faces of the stone. One - the year of opening of the monument to the composer on behalf of all of Russia, and the other - the dates of birth, death and burial.

The figure of M. I. Glinka is made of dark bronze, its height is 2.5 meters. The composer turned his face to the audience and to the Philharmonic building, behind him - the conductor's stand. He is calm and focused. Tilting his head slightly to one side, the maestro listens to the music, which sounds only for him so far.

Artistic fence of the monument

Surprisingly beautiful and original fence was installed two years later. The project of this work of art was created by the architect I. S. Bogomolov, and art casting performed by master K. Winkler.

The fence is a closed musical staff, on which bronze notes are located, forming well-known musical fragments of the composer's works. Experts say that here you can read 24 musical phrases from Glinka's works: "Ivan Susanin", "Ruslan and Lyudmila", "Prince Kholmsky", "Farewell Song".

Twice a day, Glinka's music is heard from the speakers in Blonye Park, the townspeople stop for a few minutes to listen again beautiful music their countryman.

For several decades, since 1958, the Glinka Decades festival has been held in the composer's homeland. It opens according to tradition at the monument to the great composer.

Monument to Glinka in St. Petersburg

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the composer, the issue of installing a monument in the city where Mikhail Ivanovich lived for many years was raised. He never truly parted from St. Petersburg, always returning to the city on the Neva. Here were his friends and students.

At the initiative of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, a commission for the construction of the monument was organized and a subscription for voluntary donations was opened. Funds were collected in all cities, all segments of the population. For this purpose passed charity concerts and performances, the money from which was sent to the established fund. 106,788 rubles 14 kopecks were collected, and after that a competition was announced for best project monument to Glinka.

The commission approved the work of the sculptor R. R. Bach, the architect was his brother, A. R. Bach. In 1903, the monument was made and installed on Theater Square.

Description of the monument in St. Petersburg

The figure of the composer, 3.5 meters high, is set on a red granite pedestal. The total height of the monument is 7.5 meters. The composer, made of bronze, stands in a free, relaxed pose in an unbuttoned coat. The facade of the pedestal with the dates of Glinka's life and death is decorated with a large laurel branch, made by R. R. Bach. The names of the composer's works are written on the side faces of the pedestal. The monument was decorated with cast candelabra.

Transfer of the monument

The monument to Glinka, erected in the center of the square, immediately caused problems. It became a hindrance to the passage of carriages, and later horse-drawn carriages. When in 1925 they began to reconstruct the square, redevelop it and lay new tram tracks, the monument was dismantled.

In 1926, a commission was established to select the site of the monument, organize work and monitor the progress of the installation. This place was the same Theater Square, the territory of the square, closer to the building of the conservatory.

It was also decided to make some changes in appearance monument. Candelabra were removed from the composition as details that did not correspond to the style of the monument. The site on which the pedestal was installed was fenced with granite porticos.

In 1944, restoration work was carried out on the bronze figure of the composer and the laurel branch. The monument to Glinka is a sign of the love of the Russian people for the works of the maestro, which have become classics.

Mikhail Ivanovich wrote many romances, vocal works, symphony concerts. His operas are still on theater stages today. great creator national music, he addressed the works to the people of his country, creating unprecedented compositions before him. Many musicians who followed in his footsteps called themselves his students.

Critic V. V. Stasov believed that Glinka is as great and significant in Russian music as A. S. Pushkin is in the Russian word.